Men's Basketball | 10/18/2016 2:30:00 PM
STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern men's basketball coach
Mark Byington announced today that
Devonte Boykins,
Mike Hughes and
Tookie Brown will serve as team captains this season.
"These three guys stepped up mid-year last year, and the team started playing much better basketball," said Byington. "I believe that leadership needs to ensure that we have a player-driven team and not a coach-driven team. All the good teams that I have been a part of have been player driven. These three guys will provide that leadership for us and will represent our program well."
Brown was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Sun Belt and ranked eighth among freshmen in NCAA Division I scoring a season ago. The sophomore averaged 17.8 points, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals a contest and ranked in the top-10 in the Sun Belt in scoring (4th, 17.8 ppg), assists (7th, 3.4 apg), steals (2nd, 1.7), free-throw percentage (7th, .811) and assist/turnover ratio (6th, 1.5).
Hughes was named third-team All-Sun Belt in a vote by the league's coaches and Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year by HoopsHD.com last season. The junior averaged 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 assists in conference games.
Boykins played in 31 games, started 10 and averaged 5.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He was first off the bench in 11 contests.
The captains were decided in a vote by the team. Boykins and Hughes are serving as captains for the second consecutive season.
After finishing fifth in the Sun Belt Conference last season, Georgia Southern returns all five starters and 11 lettermen to the 2016-17 squad. The Eagles host Lees-McRae in an exhibition game in Hanner Fieldhouse Nov. 3, before opening the season at NC State Nov. 11.
Georgia Southern will hold a Hoops Fan Fest Oct. 26, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Hanner Fieldhouse. Fans will have the chance to meet student-athletes and coaches from the men's and women's basketball teams. Admission and parking is free, and the first 200 fans in attendance will receive free T-shirts.
Season tickets, which are good for both men's and women's home games, start as low as $90, and fans can save over $200 by purchasing season tickets.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. For tickets to Georgia Southern athletics events, visit GSEagles.com/tickets.
